Trip Report What time is it? MICKEY TIME. August 2014

Is it entirely possible to have two extremely amazing Disney trips in a row? One would think the first trip’s fun and happiness could not be duplicated again…


Unfortunately, I am home. Real home. Not my Disney World bubble. Getting over this harsh reality is like a kick straight to the stomach, after eating a really gigantic meal. What is this life I live? Why am I not waking up on property? Oh the harsh truths we must face when exiting that bubble! Writing a trip report will help cure my Disney depression, it’s a statement I keep uttering to myself while I slowly grip the fact that my trip is OVER. WHAT?! Months of planning and excitement and poof! DONE. GONE. Is it time to go back yet? PLEASE?! Peeling the magicband off my wrist was painful.. PAINFUL I TELL YOU!!

My name’s Nicole and I am a Disney freak. (I’m the girl on the left.) If there ever is a rehab program for people who are overly obsessed with Disney, you can bet some of my friends, my boyfriend, and my family would check me right in. I love the little mermaid, and change my favorite park depending on the day. I don’t know what my favorite ride is, some days it’s Soarin’, some days it’s Splash, sometimes it’s even Tower of Terror. Whatever is the last ride I’ve been on, that’s the one I will probably tell you. Ugh, I’m indecisive!

For those who didn’t follow along on my pre-trip report, here’s a quick recap. I flew to Disney World August 17th, and stayed at the Wilderness Lodge until August 21st. The lovely people of WDWmagic convinced us to upgrade from Art of Animation since we had a pin code. From there it was off to Port Canaveral, for my first ever Disney cruise, let alone cruise. Had three nights on the Disney Dream, and then back to Orlando for a day at Downtown Disney. I came home late August 24th, which gave me 8 full days immersed in Disney. This trip was the second trip with my best friend; we went last July for 10 days and had a wonderful, unforgettable time. We knew Disney missed us.



Originally, we were supposed to go in June and stay at Art of Animation, then go on the Dream, but due to massive amounts of snowstorms in lovely New Jersey this past winter, we had to postpone to August. Now everyone was warning me about the heat, and let me just tell you all, YOU WERE RIGHT. It may have been the hottest, sweatiest (sorry!) trip of my life, but it was one that I will never forget.


Shall I begin?


It all started not too long ago, at the wee hours in the morning.

I slept at my friend’s house so her parents could take us to the airport for our flight at 5:59 in the morning. We would be in Disney at 8:30 A.M. Who needs sleep?


Made it though security fairly quickly, and decided it was perfectly acceptable to eat our first meal of the day at 4:30 A.M.


First food picture of the trip! LOL.. and it’s in bags.. Big fail, Nicole.

Probably not a good idea to drink iced coffee when you are aiming to sleep on the flight down, but with all that excitement I guess it didn’t matter! Do you guys remember the commercial with the little boy who says, “I’m too excited to sleep!” Yep, that’s me in a nutshell on Disney eve.


We took so long eating, we didn’t realize our plane had already boarded and as we were walking to the gate, we heard them announce the final boarding call. We booked it! Could you imagine if we missed our flight? Oh the horror! I don’t know why we didn’t realize that you’d need to be on the plane prior to 5:59 in order for it to take off. Hey, it was early. I’m using that excuse

We made it on and were off! My friend slept for maybe 20 minutes, I didn’t sleep at all. Too much excitement! We read and chatted about what was yet to come.


We landed early (YESS!!!), and navigated our way like champs to the B side of the airport. Last year we got lost…this year we were pros. Haha.

We scanned our matching pink magic bands at the magical express counter, saw that first mickey head light up green, and we’re off! It was time for our first Disney ride of the trip…a bus ride!

Wilderness Lodge, get ready for us!!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Usually "more of the same" is a negative reference, however when used to describe your trip reports it just means more awesomeness. And awesomeness is awesome.

There are a few photographers around here who do trip reports, that have a great "eye" for capturing all the beautiful vistas around wdw with their pictures, however you have something a little more rare: An uncanny knack for capturing "fun" with a camera lens.

Im once again having an absolute blast reading along.

Loved naptime in morroco and smiled at the U2 reference.

Keep bringing the fun!

Thank you! I had an absolute blast and cannot wipe the smile off my face while on Disney property. Thanks for following along again!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

The World Showcase is so extremely beautiful. I feel like each time I walk around, I discover something new that I had never noticed before. Everyone always talks about Disney's attention to detail, and I don't think you will fully grasp just how evident this is unless you've experienced their theme parks.

Feeling quite loopy at this point, so we wanted to take a slow stroll through Italy. We were such troopers though, and we were going to get this done! Slow and steady wins the race, and allows for no sick bellies! We couldn't pass up any photo opportunities, so here I am being a Disney obsessed nerd on a bridge. When I look at some of these shots, I feel like I was just photo shopped into the picture! Some things are a bit hazy from that day, any ideas why?! LOL

One is the loneliest number that you ever did see!

Has this ship always been there? I started screaming like a crazy person when I noticed this. How did I not see this before? It's so cute! I want to hop on board and sail away into historical times!

Look at how fluffy the clouds seemed. Spaceship Earth looks so small in scope!

I still wish Italy had a true gondola ride! I have compiled a list of suggestions for Disney and if they will trade me a room for life at Wilderness Lodge, I will spill.

I have a hard time picking which pavilion I like best, but Italy is definitley up near the top of my list. We went in all the shops and looked at all the beautiful glass jewelry. I wanted to get a memento here, but I must have forgotten! I blame the Sutter Home! All is not lost though, I did get a special present for myself later on.

We went in search of pizza, because I swore I read on here somewhere that one of the restaurants had a pizza window. We searched far and wide, and failed. Is there a pizza window anywhere? Did I dream this up? We walked into both restaurants and people were checking in for their reservations, so we knew we were not in the right places. I WANTED PIZZA! My friend didn't know how in the world I could be hungry, but she was a good friend and helped search with me.

I see in the photo below, there is an awning that says pizza, could that have been it?

I knew we failed, and took a seat on the steps. Yes, that is a Dasani in my hand. Drinking around the world called for a water break now and then!

These girls have lost it! Hiding in Italy's flowers.. the only shady spot lol!

Epcot is so pretty, just look at this building!

Here I am, chugging away on some H2O. Water's never tasted so good.

Found these beauties in one of the shops, green is not our color.

And after a good half hour of drinking water, it was time for drink numero ocho!

8. Limoncello- Italy

We sat outside, under an umbrella and sipped away. This was STRONG. And they warned us multiple times not to take it like an American shot, but to sip it. I thought I was going to like this so much more than I actually did! Maybe it was because I was so hot, but this did not refresh me at all. I wanted to chug it because I was so thirsty, but probably would have burned my esophagus if I tried! I think I would enjoy Limoncello if I drank it inside, in an air-conditioned room with a side of pizza. Haha! I would certainly have it again, it wasn't like my plum wine fiasco from last year, but it wasn't my favorite drink of the day.

Feeling it's effects, we strolled over to the African Outpost. We skipped Germany because we had reservations for dinner there later! Bye for now Germany!

Found some awesome animal ears, and we could not stop cracking up!

Finally took a decent picture in the mirror, these count as hats right? I love all the wood carving items they have here, and they had really pretty jewelry made from paper! I can't even explain, it was so unique and different, and I couldn't believe it was a paper product. It came in all different colors of the rainbow, and again I wish I had bought something! Why Nicole!

I guess I was just too busy dancing to shop! This only happens in the world!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

China the pavilion is just so visually stunning, I am amazed every time I walk over here. Is this for real? I always wonder how long it must haven taken to paint this, such detail! I could stare all day long...

China made me feel very zen, I was transported from a theme park to a beautiful outdoor garden. I could have stood here all day, just being mesmerized by it all.

It was a nice quiet place in the park and we had a chance to relax and recuperate, even if it only was for 15 minutes. The extra rejuvenation really helped us conquer our goals!

China may be one of my top pavilions, although I say this for every one! I can't pick, I love them each in their own way. Man, I'm a nerd. But look at this? This is BEAUTIFUL.

We then traveled over to the stores, and checked to see if there were any apartments for rent. Live in Epcot?! OKAY! If only this could be true LOL

Found hats! These made it feel at least 10 degrees cooler.. If only I could pull it off.

We browsed the stores for a bit, and noticed guests throwing money at Buddha. We asked why they were doing this and they said it was for good luck. We each then took a turn throwing money. We had amazing time the rest of our trip, so maybe this was the key! I have tried Googling "throw money at Buddha" but am only coming up with results of Buddha on a blanket. Has any one heard of this before?!

I was hungry, hey I never got my pizza, and was in the mood for something salty. I decided to get some egg rolls and they hit the spot! They were super delicious, and not too much food.

On our way to finding a table, we saw Mulan! I'll make a man out of you! We snapped a paparazzi photo since we had food and drinks in our hands and did not want to wait in line to meet her. Bye Mulan, we shall meet again! She is so pretty

And of course,

10. Green Tea Plum Slush

This drink was alright.. I wish I had tried the Typsy Ducks in Love instead, but when I read that it had bourbon in it I was scared! I've never tried bourbon before...That sounds like something my grandpa would drink! So I settled for this:

It was definitley not as bad as plum wine. I didn't spit it out all over the place, the green tea taste masked that flavor. Would I get it again? Probably not.

I also chugged another Dasani, hey, ya gotta stay hydrated! We stayed at our little table for a good 30 minutes, talking and resting, and even doing some dancing! The CMs were getting a real kick out of us, glad we could provide some entertainment!

Word of advice, you will not look cute after drinking in every country, so don't bother! Here I am looking like a hot mess lol

Selfies with water, it's been a long journey! We had been out and about for 8 hours at the point, and I think you can see it in my face LOL. Could we do this?!

I tried to take an artsy photo with my drink.

On to Frozenland, er, I mean Norway! I love Frozen as much as the next person, but I really don't know if I want them to add it to Maelstrom. I love the classic feel of this pavilion, and I don't think I will like the change. I know Norway used to be where Anna and Elsa met guests, but I can't see how this pavilion held such long lines! Anything frozen will have a massive wait, as I experienced first hand in DHS, and I just can't see where they will put all the people! I hope it doesn't distract from the charm that this pavilion offers when you are just strolling through. I guess Disney knows what it is doing, and I will just have to wait and see.

Vikings! Can my next cruise be to Norway?! I know they just added this itinerary, who's down to go?!

Ever since the song "Fixer Upper" trolls have stolen my heart! I used to think they were scary, but now I will show this man some love. The love doctors, oh so cute!

After the egg rolls in China, I wanted something sweet. SCHOOL BREAD time. I never had this before, and I now understand why this is a guest favorite. HOLY YUM. THIS WAS AMAZING. I want to lick the screen right now.

I must admit I am pretty impressed with myself for how much drinking AND eating I did around the world! School bread is now on my must do every trip list, it was just THAT good.

We also split a Carlsburg beer, and I have failed at life and forgot to take a photo. This is an image I took from Google images. I guess I was just so overwhelmed by the tastiness of my school bread that I forgot what my original goal was! Anyway, this is what it looked like. It was refreshing, I'm not much of a beer person but am slowly starting to acquire a taste for it, and I'll admit this was good. There's nothing like a cold beer on a hot day. And with such a scrumptious dessert on the side, who could go wrong?!

11. Carlsburg Beer- Norway

After yet another snack, I didn't know if I could move. Would I be able to roll my body to Mexico?! This day has consisted of nothing but stuffing my face! Oh Disney food, why are you so good!

I think the fact that I know what I order is something I can only get on Disney trips, makes the food much more special. At least this is how I justify my glutton-ness habits while on vacation. A CM told me, calories don't count in Disney! And hey, CMs are the most trustworthy people.

 

[mrdrift]

Loving the report from the World. Hydration is that part of the park is important. It always seems extra hot and extra humidity in that section I don't know why. You two are having a really good time and the pictures show it. With just a tad of humor in the report makes every thing wonderful. Following along.

 

[CtDisneyGuy33]

Wow- was it that hot out? I'm starting to regret this upcoming Sept trip rather than an October one...

And talk to me about this Schoolbread?

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Wow- was it that hot out? I'm starting to regret this upcoming Sept trip rather than an October one...

And talk to me about this Schoolbread?

It was hot, and humid, but it was manageable. As long as you drink water, and take frequent stops inside stores or attractions, it's not so bad. I'm not sure September weather but I'm sure it will be cooler than August! Enjoy your trip!

And school bread is so yummy, you must try it!

 

[CtDisneyGuy33]

It was hot, and humid, but it was manageable. As long as you drink water, and take frequent stops inside stores or attractions, it's not so bad. I'm not sure September weather but I'm sure it will be cooler than August! Enjoy your trip!

And school bread is so yummy, you must try it!

I'm hoping you are right!!

Is School Bread like a donut??

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Wobbled and swayed myself to Mexico, another gorgeous pavilion. I love walking in to the pyramid, and being transported to an outdoor market. The lightning, the product placement, it just seems so authentic.

We tried to take a selfie in sombreros, unfortunately they were so big we could not both fit into the picture!

A nice gentleman saw our struggle, and insisted he snap the shot for us. I love this picture! Thank you kind sir! Doesn't it look like we are outside?! Those lights, I love it! Disney, you melt my heart and soul.

We both purchased gifts back home for friends and family. I love browsing the jewelry and bags. Such unique finds in each different country. Mexico has a lot of cute items! They had so many painted wooden animals, I could look at them all for days.

After making our purchases, we strolled into La Cava del Tequila. This little bar inside is awesome. I tried two margaritas here last trip, and was excited to try a third! I remembered them being strong, and the third go around didn't disappoint!

I ran into a girl I went to high school with, what are the chances? We chatted for a bit before she continued on her way. We both love Disney excessively, so it was nice to chat about what we had done so far and what we could recommend to each other. What a small world!

Here I await drink number twelve!

12. Pineapple margarita- mexico

Oh, and of course we ordered more food. Who do you think this is? We had dinner reservations in an hour for a buffet, but the queso looked so darn good! And it was. Warm queso with chips and a margarita, tell me that doesn't sound like heaven!

Tried the pineapple margarita and it was extremely good! I decided to skip the chili powder rim, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy that. The tequila and pineapple paired really well together, I would have to say this may have been one of the best drinks of the day. I love their margaritas and wish I could have sampled them all, but I was feeling the effects after just one!

We finished our pre-dinner, and ventured off for more food. I don't know how we did this.

Back to Germany! Unt pretzel, unt beer!

I loved watching the clocks, my dad collects antique clocks and I had to snap a pic for him back home.

We discovered a shirt with drinks from around the world on it! Ta-da! We were at our last country!

I loved the red and white hair with my red and white outfit. Just call me Pippy Long Stocking!

This clock caught my eye, look at the wood carving! I wished I could of bought this for my Dad. He would have been the happiest man on earth! I guess a picture will suffice LOL

Our legs were aching so we decided to find a trusty bench to sit on before our dinner reservation time.

Our Disney shadows!

Again, we kept checking our magic bands for the time. They really do feel like watches! We weren't sure if it was dinner time yet, but we knew it was Mickey time! Mickey time is my favorite time of the day.

We weren't hungry at all, but it was time to eat! Not sure why we booked a buffet this night! We had been packing the food in all day, why stop now?

Inside is too cute! I couldn't get a good photo, and the camera ended up dying, so a lot are phone our iPhones. I loved the setup of this place. It feels like the Mexico pavilion, where is boggles your mind that you are inside a building when all signs point to being outdoors!

My first place, salad, mac and cheese, pretzel bread, potatoes, pickles.. Yum. I think my favorite food from Biergarten was the mac and cheese!

We enjoyed the music, and the live entertainment. They had people come do the chicken dance, it was quite a sight! I don't wanna be a chicken, I don't wanna be a duck!

Such a beautiful restaurant. The ambiance blew me away. I want to go back here on a day I don't eat so much food. I absolutely loved the atmosphere, and feel like I didn't get to try all the food I had wanted because I was so full! We sat at a table with a couple, and they had at least five plates each. I wish that I did that! The buffet had so many options and one plate just didn't cut it! Why can't you control yourself, Nicole! LOL

Last drink of the day, BEER! Mission complete!

13. Beer from Germany!

My second plate consisted of tomato soup, pretzel bread, and some desserts. This was all I could manage. I'm so disappointed with my eating capabilities! Haha

We sat and savored our last meal of the day. We had tried so many new things today, I was extremely proud! Looking back at the my time at Epcot, I must say it truly was such a memorable experience. It's crazy how you get 365 days in a year, and some day you remember absolutely nothing, and then others you remember it all. I hope the memories of this day in Epcot stay fresh in my mind forever, it brings a smile to my face when I think about all we did.

In actuality, when you pay for a Disney trip, you are paying for happy, ecstatic memories, that you will carry with you all your life. That my friends, is priceless.

 

[joshsprincess921]

What an awesome trip around the world!! I guess eating and drinking water in between def helps with getting through all the booze. No way would I be able to hang. I prob would have passed out back in France, LOL!

 

[Ariel1986]

Color. Me. IMPRESSED!!!! Wow I can't believe you managed every country, go you!

In actuality, when you pay for a Disney trip, you are paying for happy, ecstatic memories, that you will carry with you all your life. That my friends, is priceless.

And that just says it all.

 

[Allym146]

Looks like an absolute blast! Your pics held up well through your day of drinking around the world! Mine would be blurry and sideways...much like me at that point hahah. My H and I want to try drinking around the world next time we go. I'm a total lightweight though so we'll most likely be sharing the drinks.

 

[Mom@disney]

Congrats on drinking around the world! I have not managed to walk all around World Showcase yet, let alone drink at each country..good on you! Limoncello is one of my faves, but I agree it is strong. I consider myself a healthy eater, but when I'm in Disney, I treat myself and I think everyone should. Why not, your in the most magical place on earth. How can the food be bad for you lol. Loved all your hat pictures!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

A day at Epcot isn't complete without Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. When I even hear the name of this spectacular, my eyes get all watery. For some reason, this firework show makes me bawl like a baby. It's just so beautiful, watching the globe screens open up into fire... AHH!! It's crazy how we are all part of planet earth, circling the sun together. This show makes me an emotional sap, if you haven't caught the gist of it already!

Pink is my favorite color!

Here comes the globe, and here comes the tears. I am currently listening to Illuminations on my iPod and yearning to be at Epcot so I can watch it. WHY don't I live in Orlando?! The narrator man's voice soothes my soul, can he narrate my life?

We're gathered here tonight around the fire, as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before, to share the light and to share a story. An amazing story, as old as time itself, but still being wirtten. And though each of us has our individual stories to tell, an adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight, Reflections of Earth.

We swayed back and forth, and just relished in the sights. Last time we saw Illuminations, it was pouring rain, and tonight the weather was perfect. I couldn't ask for a better night. We both were teary-eyed, and whenever we would make eye contact with each other we would crack up. It had been such a wonderful, amazing day, and this to top it all off just make it perfection. We left Epcot in sheer bliss, drunk on feelings. And maybe, even a little tipsy from all we had consumed.

Amongst my travels, I did get a souvineer to remember my day, and my name! Ring carving from Mexico!

And below are two collages, drinks and hats! We succeeded in both!

A wonderful day traveling the World.

And I had found the little mermaid Alex and Ani! SCORE!

And I will leave you all with a video of day three. It's set to Fancy by Iggy Azalea so I must warn you there are some bad words in the song!



Day three was amazing. And we still had more days to come! This trip couldn't possibly get any better, could it?!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

I'm hoping you are right!!

Is School Bread like a donut??

It's like a donut, but not as sweet.. Like a glazed donut but without the glaze.. does that make sense? Haha

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Dang you did the whole world and no sickness!!! Congrats girl.

I am still surprised myself!

What an awesome trip around the world!! I guess eating and drinking water in between def helps with getting through all the booze. No way would I be able to hang. I prob would have passed out back in France, LOL!

I almost did pass out in the France movie, but I kept trucking along LOL! Food and water are KEY!

Color. Me. IMPRESSED!!!! Wow I can't believe you managed every country, go you!
And that just says it all.

Thank you! It was a tough battle, but I am glad to finally say I did it! Now next time I'll just have the drinks I really enjoyed! LOL, and I won't eat so much

Looks like an absolute blast! Your pics held up well through your day of drinking around the world! Mine would be blurry and sideways...much like me at that point hahah. My H and I want to try drinking around the world next time we go. I'm a total lightweight though so we'll most likely be sharing the drinks.

It took us about 9 hours to do it all, so I think that helped me from getting too out of hand! Drink water every other country as well! It really helps! I think drinking around the world sounds a lot more appealing if I were to go in November until April, but August is just so hot! I thought I'd love all the mixed drinks but in the heat the beer was the most refreshing! Go figure!

Congrats on drinking around the world! I have not managed to walk all around World Showcase yet, let alone drink at each country..good on you! Limoncello is one of my faves, but I agree it is strong. I consider myself a healthy eater, but when I'm in Disney, I treat myself and I think everyone should. Why not, your in the most magical place on earth. How can the food be bad for you lol. Loved all your hat pictures!

I am usually a healthy eater, but when it comes to Disney I go all out! It's one week out of 52, you have to treat yourself! I was surprised on how much I was able to consume without feeling sick! LOL.. the hat pictures were fun! I thought for sure we would forget to take it in at least one country, but we got them all! YAYYYY

 

[Longers]

Still loving this report. I Have an Alex and Ani bracelet on my list to buy this year. It's not something I was aware of before these forums as I have not heard it in the UK but definitely getting one. I didn't realise there were character ones so will look around before I decide which ones to buy. Loving the videos and collage photos.

 

[fractal]

Great collages! Pretty impressed with how much you drank, and I used to be in a frat. These days, if I drank that much I would have been in the bathroom half of the time.

report continues to be awesome!

 

[joshsprincess921]

Now I can't stop singing...Who dat..who dat...I-G-G-Y... As always, video was tons of fun to watch and love the collages!

 

[C.FERNIE]

Thanks for the trip report! It was awesome!

 

[gaga4disney]

you should change the Fancy lyrics on your video to: i'm in the fast lane from NJ to Orlando